I'm a children's book editor living in Brooklyn and working in Manhattan. I post about books, publishing, life, travel, food, and other random stuff. I'm newly widowed, and may post about my grief and recovery on occasion as well.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

86!!

Okay, T.S. found this list of the 100 best children's book on the National Education Association's page (from 1999, I think). Same rules as last time. I put a star if I liked it as a kid, even if I may not like the book today:

*Charlotte's Web by E. B. White*The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg*Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss*The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss*Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak-Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch (creepy, toilet on cover...)*The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein*The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle*Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls (this is the book that made me cry the hardest as a kid)*The Mitten by Jan Brett?Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown*Hatchet by Gary Paulsen*The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis*Where the Sidewalk Ends: the Poems and Drawing of Shel Silverstein by Shel Silverstein*Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson*Stellaluna by Janell Cannon*Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss*Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola*Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst*Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin, Jr.*Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl*The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams*A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'EngleShiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor*How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss*The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka?Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John Archambault*Little House on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder*The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett*The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne*The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner*Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan*Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks*Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell*Maniac Magee by Jerry SpinelliThe BFG by Roald Dahl (one of the few Roald Dahl books I haven't read)*The Giver by Lois Lowry?If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff*James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl*Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder?Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor (to be honest, I can't remember 100% if I've read this...)*The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien*The Lorax by Dr. SeussStone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner*Number the Stars by Lois Lowry*Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien*Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (probably my all-time favorite book)?The Rainbow Fish by Marcus PfisterAmazing Grace by Mary HoffmanThe Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson*Corduroy by Don Freeman*Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg*Math Curse by Jon Scieszka*Matilda by Roald Dahl-Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls*Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume*Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary*The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White*Are You My Mother? by Philip D. Eastman*The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (read all 7--many times)*Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey*One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss*The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster*The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (my favorite picture book from childhood)*The Napping House by Audrey Wood*Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig (another childhood favorite)*The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter*Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt* The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum*Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery*Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss?Basil of Baker Street, by Eve Titus*The Little Engine That Could by Watty PiperThe Cay by Theodore Taylor*Curious George by Hans Augusto ReyWilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox*Arthur series by Marc Tolon Brown (only some)The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson (this has been on my to read list for a very long time)*Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes*Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder *The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton?The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise BrownSideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar?Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish (these books annoyed me when I was a kid)*Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh*A Light in the Attic by Shel SilversteinMr. Popper's Penguins by Richard AtwaterMy Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett?Stuart Little by E. B. White (when I was a kid, I hated the open-ended ending)*Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech*The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George SpeareThe Art Lesson by Tomie De Paola*Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina*Clifford, the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell*Heidi by Johanna Spyri*Horton Hears a Who by Dr. SeussThe Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George SpeareThe Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis?Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney*The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch86%, baybee! I was kinda hoping for 100%, but oh well.

8 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Well, 86 is pretty darned good! I think I'm at around 75. I can't for sure remember if I read some of them-- I can't even remember the books I've read a year ago. How am I supposed to remember what I read 20 or 25 years ago?!

You've never read Mr. Popper's penguins? Wow, I've actually read some books you hadn't read! Actually, come to think of it, I don't think I read Mr. Popper's Penguins myself. It was read to us in class. But that still counts doesn't it?

I guess that counts...yeah, I couldn't actually remember about MR POPPERS PENGUINS, because my company publishes it so I see it everywhere and it's so familiar. But I don't think I have. Then again, it might be one of those cases where I sit down to read something and as I start reading, I realize I'd already read it. That happened with me and the Lord of the Rings.

Alvina, definitely keep Gilly Hopkins on your list. I reread it recently and it still has all the wonderful things I remembered, even though parts of it might date it too much for today's readers. Beautiful story!Cheryl

Search This Blog

What does "bloomabilities" mean?

Bloomability by Sharon Creech is one of my favorite children's books. In the book, one of the characters makes up words, and in his world, "bloomability" means "possibility." I believe in bloomabilities.